Friday, December 03, 2004

Slaughter of Wild Horses

Dear All,

This was brought to my attention by the woman with whom I have worked to save some of the North American Wild Horse populations that were in greatest danger of collection for slaughter or for sale to the horse butchers. It is a fate that is unspeakably horrible and if you once could see the films on the treatment and slaughtering methods used for horses you would have nightmares for weeks.

These Mustangs do not deserve this fate and are only a threat to the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), because they might compete for grass with the cows that the BLM allows to graze on federal lands, from which they receive money.

The fact that the land where the horses are found is in many cases national parklands under the management of the BLM who really do not answer to anyone
for their actions, makes the land usage almost entirely at their discretion unless activists alert the population to the private agendas of the BLM.

This lovely piece of legislation was slipped in at the eleventh hour unannounced, just before the holiday and the congress will vote on it this coming MONDAY.

Can you please read this...send it to everyone you know...and call or email your Senators or use the number in the statement. AND PRAY !!!

Please stay in touch with ISPMB as we have the most current information on the
legislation that will kill thousands of wild horses.

Correction - hot line for the White House (202)456-1111

Please flood your Representative's lines asking that they remove Rider #142 from the Appropriations Bill HR 4818.
Tell them that you will not stand by while our wild horses are slaughtered.
The wild horses represent what our country stands for and that is
FREEDOM.

Below is the Bill. IT HAS NOT PASSED THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
They meet
on Monday at 2PM and work through Wednesday. There is time to STOP
THIS!!!

Here is the link to the H.Rpt. 108-792 Conference Report to Accompany
H.R.
4818 - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005. Click on Division E
which covers
appropriations language for DOI, either the text version or the PDF
version,
whichever you prefer. The amendment is under Sec. 142. The text is as
follows:

SEC. 142. SALE OF WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS. (a) IN
GENERAL.--Section
3 of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1333) is amended--
(1) in subsection (d)(5), by striking ``this section'' and all that
follows
through the period at the end and inserting ``this section.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(e) SALE OF EXCESS ANIMALS.--
``(1) IN GENERAL.--Any excess animal or the remains of an excess animal
shall
be sold if-- ``(A) the excess animal is more than 10 years of age;
or
``(B) the excess animal has been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at
least 3
times.
``(2) METHOD OF SALE.--An excess animal that meets either of the
criteria in
paragraph (1) shall be made available for sale without limitation,
including
through auction to the highest bidder, at local sale yards or other
convenient
livestock selling facilities, until such time as-- ``(A) all excess
animals
offered for sale are sold; or ``(B) the appropriate management
level, as
determined by the Secretary, is attained in all areas occupied by wild
free-
roaming horses and burros.
``(3) DISPOSITION OF FUNDS.--Funds generated from the sale of excess
animals
under this subsection shall be-- ``(A) credited as an offsetting
collection
to the Management of Lands and Resources appropriation for the Bureau
of Land
Management; and ``(B) used for the costs relating to the adoption
of wild
free-roaming horses and burros, including the costs of marketing such
adoption.
'`(4) EFFECT OF SALE.--Any excess animal sold under this provision
shall no
longer be considered to be a wild free-roaming horse or burro for
purposes of
this Act.''.

Even though it
is highly unlikely that we can get this amendment pulled before the
President
signs it, we are working Nancy Pelosi's office just in case, if at the
very
least she can make a statement on the House floor on Monday so it can
be
recorded in the Congressional Record.

Below is how to access your Representatives and Senators. Call and
e-mail.